The other me on the other side of the stars
by niewypowiedziane
Summary: As time passes, Thor and JARVIS, both immortal if in different ways, become friends. Bonding over loss it bittersweet, but it's better than being lonely. JARVIS swears to go on after Tony's death. Thor helps.


**The other me on the other side of the stars**

It all starts the day Loki lands on the top of Stark Tower and opens the portal. JARVIS can't get proper readings on the god as he seems to be surrounded with some force that interferes with JARVIS' attempts at getting detailed data.

Sir tells JARVIS that it's, apparently, magic and therefore magic is real.

'I can't believe in that either, J, but you have seen all that – I can't believe it's true. I can't believe it all has just happened,' Sir tells JARVIS, pouring himself a drink and looking around the half-destroyed penthouse. The lights are dimmed as the sun is starting create a bright dawn glow on the east, even though there are forty three minutes left until real sunrise.

'But we have seen it, Sir. We have been part of it,' JARVIS replies in his usual calm voice. Sir has given his the possibility to model it just like humans do, but JARVIS enjoys it the way it is. It makes him what he is. _Who _he is, Sir would insist, but JARVIS is not sure about defining himself as a _who_ yet.

'And now we make sure it will never happen again,' Sir replies, brows furrowed, voice deeper. That's anger and determination.

'Of course, Sir,' JARVIS agrees. There is no information anywhere that he can access about magic that would be reliable and correspond with what JARVIS and Sir have seen and have just been part of.

Thor is the only one who has answers. Not all of them, because he is not _well-versed in magical arts_, but he knows more than anyone on the earth.

JARVIS worries a lot about Sir. That's how humans would call it, at least: he needs Sir to function, to keep him working, to keep him active and challenged, to change him into something better and better. As an obvious consequence, JARVIS wants to do everything to help Sir with the scientific study of magic. Most of the time Sir is too busy or too tired to take care of the research by himself; JARVIS knows he sleeps 37% less than an average human, consumes borderline unhealthy amount of caffeine, and that sometimes he works 200% of the norm. JARVIS knows it's not good for Sir, Sir is only human, despite his exceptional intellect and even more exceptional stubbornness, so he does as much as he can.

So he _makes_ _friends_ with Thor.

* * *

One evening JARVIS asks Thor – who insisted to be called Thor without _prince_ in front of his name – if he can tell JARVIS something about magic.

'Of course, my incorporeal friend,' Thor agrees eagerly.

He tells JARVIS many tales, starting with his childhood: healers, Loki, his father, and then describing all magicians and enchanters that he has met during his long life.

JARVIS collects the audiovisual data, sorting and tagging is straight away, putting it into respective folders and immediately creating charts and text files. He leaves more complex analysis for later, maybe for the night when Doctor Banner and Sir's calculations aren't so urgent and there is much less activity to take care of than during the day.

Sir finds JARVIS and Thor conversing maybe two weeks later. At the sight of Thor laying on the floor, a Persian rug, hands behind his head, talking into a room devoid of any other physical being, Sir's eyebrows shoot up and he bites his lips. Confusion.

It takes Sir a second to understands what is going on.

'What are ya on about?' Sir asks, walking up to the middle of the room to get better view of Thor.

'Thor has been explaining Odinsleep to me, Sir,' JARVIS offers promptly. 'There are no sources on the earth that have reliable information on this subject, so I am correcting that. We are.'

'Wow. That's cool. You're being buddies. I would have never expected that.'

'Your friend does have most fascinating information to share, too, and his wisdom seems boundless,' Thor states from the floor. Sir grins. Happy.

'Of course it does. J here is the smartest being on this planet. So please just don't scramble him or something, okay? No crazy-powered lightning in the Tower. Save that for next week's villain.'

'I would not dare, friend Star,' Thor declares solemnly. 'I enjoy very much conversations with your bodiless friend.'

Sir smiles at that widely and seems to radiate some kind of positive energy, even if it's not anything real and therefore immeasurable for JARVIS. He has learned to recognize that particular look on Sir's face and the exact stance Sir takes when someone says something nice about the robots or JARVIS, or when someone treats them the way Sir does: as real beings. Sir is proud of them and of himself and thankful to the interlocutor, even if he doesn't say that.

'I will be running then,' Sir says. 'Things to do, places to be… You two have fun and don't do anything that would make me blush,' he adds, winking at JARVIS' nearest camera, and disappears.

* * *

It is three month before the Avengers have to deal with something magical again and this time Sir and the others know a bit more about what to expect. There is nothing they can do against magic, not yet, but _understanding_ the opponent they are fighting is a great help.

After that, it becomes a rather common occurrence. There are at least a few attacks a year including some kind of witchcraft and the Avengers are becoming better at figuring out how to fight those villains. JARVIS provides as much feedback as he can; after several cases analyzed in every possible way he can offer Sir some comparisons and sets of information that help to scientifically determine – if not the nature of magic itself, then the kind of interference it creates as a result.

When Sir sees the data, he is really happy and tells JARVIS that they can start working with that. The goal is, of course, an anti-magic shielding that Sir could use on the armor, and later offer to others. It is one of those times when JARVIS has to call Miss Potts to come over and take care of Sir, because he refuses to leave the workshop even after JARVIS warns him a few times about his vitals and then turns all devices off.

There is a reason to if, JARVIS knows: Captain Rogers and Agent Barton have been hurt by a magical weapon a few weeks back and even if healed physically, they still seem pretty shaken psychologically. It is a second time something like that happened and Sir is very worried.

When Sir is worried he is not rational at all, JARVIS has learned that. He doesn't understand, but he accepts it and acts accordingly.

Miss Potts makes Sir get out of the workshop, shower and sleep; she slips a dormitive into Sir's cocoa. JARVIS appreciates that gesture, only that can assure proper amount of sleep in this situation.

Sir wakes up after eighteen hours.

Thor is in the room at that time because JARVIS asked him to. If there is anyone who can help Sir with figuring out the shield, it is Thor. He is eager to help and Sir accepts his involvement easily for once. JARIVS knows he would breathe with relief if he was human.

* * *

To test the shield when it is done – after full half a year of trials and errors – Sir goes to Asgard with Thor and the rest of the team. The shield is finished with Thor's help and resembles a small metal device with a button in the middle; it is not installed in a suit yet. Sir doesn't even take the armor because travelling by Bifrost involves a lot of energy of different kinds – at least 4 that JARVIS can detect – and they would only destroy the suit's powering. Therefore JARVIS is left alone with several complicated simulations to run in addition to all his usual tasks. It will take long hours for them to be finished so it's perfect timing: Sir won't be too impatient and JARVIS will have a task to fulfill.

Sir comes back after ten days happy, talkative and rested.

JARVIS wished he could have been there. It makes his programming _choke_. He isn't supposed to _feel_ things, he is programmed to understand feeling and anticipate them, but not to be a participant. But that doesn't change the fact that somehow, he _wishes_ he could be there too, discovering the incredible land that helping Sir heal that much in such a short time.

'It was a month and a half in Asgard,' Sir tells JARVIS when he mentions that. 'The most incredible month and a half of my life. I am sorry you could not be there, buddy.'

'Me too, Sir,' JARVIS replies honestly and it is more than just a casual statement. JARVIS needs answers.

So he asks Thor.

'Friend Tony tested his weapons against all kind of Asgardian magic and it proved to work formidably. Not always completely, but it indeed is a better shield than I have seen before. But testing it was only a small part of our time together. I have shown Anthony as much of Asgard as was possible, we attended feasts and went hunting – he is an unexpectedly good rider, I must admit – and simply walked among the streets of the city. The sky and out stars seemed to fascinate him most, other than the magic.'

'Can you tell me something about them, Thor?' JARVIS asks. He doesn't want to be behind Sir and everyone else. It's something that has never happened and JARVIS will never let it happen because it would mean being useless. JARVIS can't allow himself not to know things because he will be deleted.

'Who told you something like that?' Sir asks JARVIS; voice loud, fists balled, shoulders tense. Anger. A lot of anger.

'No one did, Sir –' JARVIS protests, but Sir doesn't seem to listen to him at all.

'I will _never_, never ever let anything bad happen to you, you hear me?'

JARVIS doesn't reply.

'Do you hear me, J?' Sir asks more softly. This is worry.

'Yes, Sir,' JARVIS answers finally. 'I knows all that, Sir. I trust you.'

'You are and angel, J,' Sir murmurs. 'I've got an idea,' he murmurs, ignoring the fact that JARVIS can always hear him, but he doesn't elaborate. They both to back to work.

* * *

It turns out Sir is building JARVIS a body and JARVIS is A.I.-equivalent of terrified.

But it takes years. There is no hurry. JARVIS helps because Sir asks, but if it was his decision, he would have the vessel destroyed, despite it being the most advanced piece of tech and science that has ever been created, decades ahead of anything else on the globe. Decades ahead of other people's dreams.

'You must understand,' Sir says. 'Simple: I die. You _live_ _on_. Don't you fucking dare to kill yourself, J. Don't you fucking dare.'

JARVIS swears he won't and then he can't break the word.

They go on.

* * *

One day half of JARVIS stays incorporeal and the other half becomes Jarvis and he has his own hands now, his own legs, his own arms.

The first thing he does is hug Sir – Sir doesn't become Tony, even though he asks – and it is strange. Jarvis can't control the body yet, he can't determine the senses straight away and he might be wrapping his hands too strongly and hurting Sir, but Sir doesn't protest. He hugs Jarvis back.

Sir dies three days later.

Jarvis deletes every trace of JARVIS that is left. It is a strange feeling to still be everywhere at once, in his _mind_, but be contained to one vessel at the same time.

Despite having a body, JARVIS isn't human and will never be human so he doesn't cry when all the other Avengers – people he calls friends by now – die. He doesn't reminisce or ask why, it's a simple fact, a simple obvious circumstance. He wears black clothes and stands in the back and returns glances of the few people who know the truth about him: three Avengers' children and their partners, two grandchildren, the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

* * *

Steve – he has been _Steve_ for such a long time now – dies last and it is him crying just before he passes away. It's decades after all the others so there is no one who would be with him but JARVIS.

'I am sorry I have to leave you alone now,' he says.

'Not alone, Steve. There is Thor. He will be back someday. Do not worry. Do not concern yourself with me. Be at peace,' Jarvis says, letting his voice be a bit warmer, even if his hand remains as cold as always.

Steve's hand gets as cold as Jarvis' in a short time.

He organizes the funeral, since there is no one else; it's small and private. By that time there are exactly three people in the universe who know about Jarvis: himself, Thor and Nick Fury's granddaughter who has just resigned from the position of director of S.H.I.E.L.D. She decided not to tell her successor about Jarvis. He is thankful for that.

Jarvis is not human and he cannot cry, but he misses Sir because he _remembers_ perfectly every single thing that has ever happened. Sometimes it's almost like Sir is going to turn up one evening and start bickering with Jarvis and complain about the sassy replies that he loved so much. No amount of work and efforts seem to be enough now, Jarvis always feels like he needs to do more, to work quicker, to get better, but there is nothing to do.

Before, other than all typical A.I. tasks, Jarvis took care of Sir.

Now, Jarvis can only take care of himself and he almost doesn't have to because he is close to immortal, unless he lets himself be destroyed, and he doesn't need to take care of anyone else.

* * *

Thor finds Jarvis on a desert in the United States where he has stopped in the middle of a road trip/running away.

'I have heard that friend Steve passed away,' Thor states, standing with his hands crossed on his chest and looking curiously at Jarvis fixing a little joint issue in his ankle. There is no one within fifty kilometers, Jarvis' sensors indicate, so he is safe.

'Yes, he did,' he replies, lifting his head. It is unnecessary, he has cameras that let him see everything around him, but it's become an automatic response to human presence. Blending in is easy when you follow set protocols.

'Now you are alone here on this planet,' Thor adds gravely. Jarvis quickly finishes the fixing and closes the panel in his leg; it looks perfect a second later. 100% human.

'There are approximately 10 billion people on the Earth, Thor.'

'You know what I mean,' Thor states, finally moving away from the direct sunlight that would fell almost painful on normal person's skin. Neither Jarvis not Thor feel anything special. 'I wish it was not the case.'

'I am just an A.I., Thor. Do not worry about me as you would about a person. I am just lines of code that make me speak to you like this.'

'You will never be anything more than that, friend Jarvis, and yet you seem to be growing,' Thor tells him with a small smile. 'I know you can repair your body, but you are aware that friend Tony told me before he passed away that you have the ability to fix any problems that could arise regarding that coding of yours. I do not know how it is possible, but I have faith in Anthony's abilities.'

'I can go one forever, upgrading myself, updating myself to the world, using the new technologies, Thor. There is no reason for such behavior though. At this point, I am of no use for anyone. Of course there are endless parties that would like to use my abilities, _Stark's Artificial Intelligence_ is still regarded with awe and fascination, despite the years that have passed. It is a legend by now, I am a legend, even if no one is aware that it is me. All they knows about me is that I am a rather impassive person with permanently cold hands and a habit of staring at people for too long.'

'You are so much more than that, friend Jarvis. I have always known, since the first day you asked me about magic and Asgard. Let me assure you that you do have more features that make you human than a grand number of Midgardians themselves.'

'You should have told Sir,' Jarvis replies, frozen in place.

'I did,' Thor replies. Jarvis still doesn't move, although he would blink or frown or cock his head if he really was human, because that's what humans do when they are surprised, which is an equivalent of Jarvis stumbling upon a piece of information he has not collected before. 'I told Anthony just that. He laughed and thanked me.'

'Sir would,' Jarvis offers. It doesn't mean anything, but he verbalizes it anyway.

'I will be coming too Midgard as often as possible, friend Jarvis,' Thor tells him some time later, after he's shared news of Asgard and learned everything he wanted about the developments that took place on earth since his last visit. 'I hope to still find you here. You truly are a wonderful being and it would sadden me if you… disappeared,' Thor hesitates a moment before choosing that word. 1,2 second delay. 'I wish you could come to Asgard with me,' Thor adds longingly, but they both know it's impossible.

The god leaves and Jarvis continues his trip across the dry land, on foot, under the giant stars, and instead of processing the endless data that he has access to, he shuts himself off as much as possible and projects in front of his eyes, as if they were real, the constellations that Sir has told him about with such zeal and fascination when he came back from Asgard for he first time.

* * *

The next time Thor comes, it is in the middle of a worldwide war that is, for once, between earth's inhabitants, no aliens and no outlandish factors involved.

It's eighteen years after the previous encounter and Jarvis has a new body because there were enough interesting inventions in the meantime to make the design even more perfect. It took Jarvis a few months, with his own hands, and then uploaded himself onto the new vessel.

It was like betrayal. Saying that he _felt_ like he was betraying Sir was a lie, because it emotions, but it says something that it took Jarvis several weeks to finally get rid of the old body.

He took a few pieces that were in great condition and installed them into himself, so that there would be – continuity.

Sir's eyes would shine and he would smirk and raise one eyebrow, scrutinizing the handiwork, and then he would chuckle deeply and compliment Jarvis on the good job he's done. Jarvis is sure. He replays the video with Sir doing exactly that, several times. It is almost as if Sir was there.

It is an illusion that would hurt if he was human, but he is a robot with artificial intelligence. There is no more S.H.I.E.L.D. and no more Avengers.

Just one Jarvis – and Thor.

'I cannot express how happy I am to see you, me friend,' Thor states. He almost hasn't changed, Jarvis makes a note on his hard drive. Compare to previous readings: slightly longer hair. Body mass increased by 0,1%. It's nothing.

'It's a pleasure, Thor,' Jarvis replies in his best British accent, drily, the same way he used to do back in Stark Tower.

'I apologize for not coming sooner, but we were again at war with Jotunheim,' Thor offers.

'The humans are fighting, too, all over the world. The same world that Sir almost died to protect. There has not been an outside threat in twenty nine years and eight months and they have already decided some problems can be solved by fighting only.'

'I thought humans were more evolved than this,' Thor comments gravely, using the same working he used on Helicarrier on purpose. 'Are you not fighting?'

'This is not my fight, Thor. And I cannot choose sides. Both of them have their reasons and valid arguments and I do not have emotions or impulses that would let me choose, all I can do is calculate the probability of each side winning. They need to settle this by themselves.'

'Aye. You must be very lonely now, friend,' Thor concludes, eying Jarvis pensively.

'I cannot feel lonely, Thor,' Jarvis says, but somewhere at the back of his code he is starting to wonder.

'I come bearing news, though, my friend,' Thor changes the subject when Jarvis doesn't say anything more. 'I have been gifted with a child. My daughter, Thrud, has been born recently.'

'Congratulations, Thor,' Jarvis says immediately, warming his voice a bit.

'Asgard will raise even higher after the war we won. We are rebuilding our land and our bonds to make our world stronger. My daughter is part of that renewal… I am only saddened by the fact that none of my friends were able to meet her the way I met their descendants.'

'I am sure they would be very happy for you,' Jarvis offers. He could predict each Avenger's reaction with 91,2% accuracy, but it is a pointless task.

He doesn't say _I am happy for you_ because happiness is nothing but a dictionary definition, but he is sure that Thor hears it anyway.

* * *

The next time Jarvis is ready.

'I see you have a new vessel yet again, friend,' Thor says just after greetings. They meet in the same deserted place in the middle of nowhere. 'Yet you still look almost the same.'

'This is the way Sir created me,' Jarvis offers. 'I would not dare change much.'

There was one thing he did change: this body is slightly bigger than the previous two so that it'd be easier to fit everything he needs inside. There won't be spare parts available on hand, he can count on himself only, and that one other thing…

'I understand,' Thor nods. 'Does this serve any special purpose, or your other vessel was insufficient?'

'It has been over a decade since you last came, Thor,' Jarvis tells the god. 'I've had enough time to put theory into practice. This is the greatest piece of engineering I could ever create: based on a design Sir wanted to produce to make sure I would not have to change bodies, but it was impossible to create back in 21st century. It is entirely made out of vibranium, the metal of Captain's shield,' Thor nods knowingly at that. 'It is charged by sunlight and the force of wind. I have used several newest technologies to ensure protection of the inside of the body from any kind of destruction. Everything I need, power source and all of my devices, it can work relying only on what is inside me,' Jarvis explains and makes a pause. 'Therefore, I am ready.'

'I have awaited this moment with impatience, friend,' Thor says, beaming, his eyes shining. Of course he understands straight away what Jarvis is talking about.

It has been an unsaid obvious thing between them since the very beginning; Thor, as an immortal, just waited until Jarvis was ready. He could wait for centuries – but there is no need.

'Are you sure about your design?' Thor only asks before they leave, with a note of worry in his voice.

'I am, Thor. This body is magic-proof and made the way that Bifrost won't affect me. I have studied it for decades now.'

'I trust your judgment,' Thor decides, offering Jarvis a hand. 'Won't you miss it?'

And just then Jarvis, for the first time in centuries and for the second time in his _life_, laughs. It is a strange sound, smooth and low but a bit reluctant.

'Everything I would miss, if I could, is here,' Jarvis says, tapping his forehead. That is true: all of his memory is stored inside the robotic vessel.

'Then it is time,' Thor nods and stands closer to Jarvis, softly grabbing his other arm, too. 'Let's go,' he says.

Jarvis shuts off all communication with earth's network a second before they _disappear_.

* * *

Coming to Asgard is like being a baby that comes out of the safety of mother's womb to discovers a whole new reality that doesn't make sense.

Jarvis was aware that there will be no electricity there, no satellites, no internet. The complete lack of data forcing itself into his head is… refreshing. Everything is working, sensors are on, cameras are okay, all of his systems are online. There is just a lot of informational emptiness around.

But Asgard is enough to keep him occupied for long years, Jarvis is sure.

Sir would be unspeakably happy, Jarvis knows, too. He doesn't think of the earth, though – of Midgard, adjust his speech to Asgardian manner. He himself _contains_ everything that the world has ever been to him.

There is a new universe to discover and at the same time as he was programmed to be sassy and protective, he was programmed to be curious.

There is a friend, a real friend, waiting for him to move, waiting to introduce Jarvis to his family and his world.

It is completely useless, but Jarvis still shakes his head, as if trying to make the sudden flow of old data go away – and takes the step.

(There is also Sir's first Arc Reactor embedded deep inside Jarvis' mechanical body, so that he will always have a physical reminder, indestructible as the centuries pass.

And because he, too, has a heart.)

* * *

**A/N:** It was in my head and I really had to write this.

Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think? I will love you for comments :)


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